Timing device



April 23, 1 1-. J. B. WILLIS 1,803,226

TIMING DEVICE Filed April 21. 1930 I NVENTOR Patented Apr. 28, 1931 JASPER B. WILLIS, OF LOS AN GELES, CALIFORNIA TIMING DEVICE Substitute for application Serial No. 683,788, filed' December 31, 1923. This application filed 1930. Serial This application is a substitute forapplication Serial No. 683,788, iiled December 3 1,.

'5' ticularly to attachments for automobile engines, and has for its object the provision of a device designed to be screwed into the spark plug opening of an automobile engine or in fact any other engine of the internal combustion engine type, the device being so constructed as toapprise the operator of any error in the timing of the explosion within the engine cylinder. 7

An important and more specific object is the provision of a device of this character which embodies a movable element, which is operated by the compression within the engine cylinderand which cooperates with a relatively stationary contact point whereby the exact position of the engine piston at the time of the occurrence of the sparkmay be ascertained so that any error may be easily remedied. 4

A still further object is the provision of a device of this character which will operate to indicate not only an error in the-timing but also the degree of error and whether the explosion occurs too late or too early.

An additional object is the provision of an apparatus of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, and installation, highly efllcient in use, durable in service and a general improvement in the art. I

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: a

Figure 1 is an elevation of the device showing it in applied position, p

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly tothe drawings the letter A designates a fragment of an engine-having the usual spark plug re ceiving hole B therein. In carrying out my invention I provide a metallic body 10 April 21,

No. 446,126. I

formed with a bore 11 and having a threaded end 12 "for engagement within the opening B. This body is formed with faces which permit engagement of a wrench therewith for facilitating turning movement. Rising from and preferably integral with the body is an upstanding tubular guide 13 having its bore or interior coincident with the bore 11.

The top of this 7 guide is closed except for a central hole 14.

Surrounding this guide is an elongated tubular casin 15'of nonconducting material such as fiben bakelite or the like, which casing is entirely open at its top andformed in one side with an elongated slot 16. Engaged upon the casing is a metallic cage designated broadly by the numeral 17 and including upper, intermediate and lower bands 18, 19 and 20 respectively, the former two of which are connected byspaced strins 21 and the latter two of'which areconnected by a single strip 22." Thestrips 21 are located at opposite sides of the slot 16' and for a purpose to be described. The lower band 20 carries binding screws 23 equipped with nuts 24 for connection of the ignition wire therewith.

Only one screw is necessarybut two are,

shown as it may be more convenient to connect with one than the other.

Slidablethrough the bore 11 and guide 13 is a plunger 25 carried by a stem 26 which is 'slidable, through the {11016 ltand which has its upper portionprovided with a tapered reduction 27 definingv ashoulder 28. Within the guide is a coil spring 29 engaging against the top thereof and against the plungor 25 for normally opposing upward movement ofthe plunger;

Slidably Tmounted within the casing, 15 I above the guide 13 is a block 30 formed with a bore 31 slidably receiving the stem 26 and formed in one side with a slot 32 within which is pivoted at 33 an indicator arm 34. This arm is urged into engagement with the stem by a leaf spring 35. and it is provided with an outwardly extending finger 36 which passes through the slot. 16 and which is equipped with a terminal head 37 constituting a contact,,.which head is spaced away from the strips 21 of the cage. An adjusted position of the block within the casing is maintained by the frictional engagement at the casing wall of a leaf spring 38 carried by the block and having projecting ends 39. The stem 26 passes throughand beyond the block 30 and is equipped above and below the same with stop collars d0 which serve as abutments for coil springs n which bear also against the faces of the block and which cushion the shock of the movement of the parts when the device is in operation.

Slidable within the upper end of the casing above the block 30 is a plunger 42 carried by a stem 43 equipped with a knob 44. The plunger l2 carries a leaf spring 45 which frictiona'lly engages the inner wall of the casing for maintaining an adjusted position.

Assuming that the device has been constructed and assembled as above described,

- the operation is as follows :The spark plug is removed from the cylinder to be tested and the body 10 is screwed into the hole. By means of the plunger t2, the operator presses the block 30 and stem 26, together with the plunger 25, downwardly. When the device is thus set, and the compression stroke of the engine occurs, it will be apparent that the pressure within the explosion chamber of the engine acting upon the piston 25 will cause the latter to move upwardly against the resistance of the spring 29. The block 30 is naturally moved upwardly by the stem-26 and the operator may note the highest point reached by the indicator'head 37. As the stem 26 moves upwardly, it is apparent that it will slide through the block 30 to a certain extent, and that the reduced portion 2? sliding-against the arm 34 will cause the latter to swing laterally. As this occurs thehead 37 approaches the right hand strip 21 so that a proper length of gap will be defined to permit a spark to jump across. The high tension current enters at either binding post 23, passes along the strips 22 and 21, across the gap and through the, rod 26 and body 10 to the. ground. If the engine is properlytimed, this spark will occur when the indicator is at its highest point. 7 1f the timing is tooadvanced the spark will occur before the indicator reaches the limit of its movement and the reverse will be true if timing is retarded or too late. In this way it will be seen that the operator may readily ascertain exactly the condition of the timing of the engine and may make whatever adjustments are necessary to insure proper action. The device is bound to be a great time and labor saver and should therefore recommend itself to those having occasion to employ its services.

While I have shown and described'thepreferred embodimentof my invention? it'i'sv of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as-Will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a body adapted to be screwed into the spark plug opening of an engine cylinder, a support carried by said body, a spring pressed plunger operating within said body and having a stem, a frame secured upon said support and provided with means for attachment of an ignition wire, a movable s parking member cooperating with one side of said frame whereby to provide a spark gap, and means on the stem for moving the sparking member.

2. An indicator of the character described comprising a body having one end threaded for engagement within the spark plug opening of an engine cylinder, a support of insulating material carried by the upper end of saidbody, a downwardly spring pressed plunger operating wit iin said body and haying a stem movable along said support, a metal lic frame carried by said support and providedwith means'for attachment of an nition wire, and a spark ing member cooperating with one side of said framewhereby to til define a spark gap, said sparking member being rockably mounted, and means on the stem for moving the sparking member to one side upon the upstroke of the piston and to the other side upon the downstrokethereof.

3. An indicator of the character described comprising a body having one end threaded for engagement within the spark plug opening of an engine, a support of insulating material carried by the upper end of said body, a downwardly spring pressed plunger operating within said body and having a stem movable along said support, a metallic frame carried by said support and provided With means for attachment of an ignition wire, a-bl'ock slidable within the support and through which the stem slides, a sparking member carried by said block terminating in a contact cooperating with one side of said; frame' whereby to define a spark gap, said sparking member being pivoted on said block, and wedge means on the stem for moving the sparking member to one side upon the upstroke of the piston and to the other sideupon the dow-nstroke thereof.

4. An indicator offthe characterdescribed comprisinga body having" one end threaded for engagement within the spark plug opening of an engine cylinder, a hollow support of insulating materialcarried'by said body, a downwardly springpressed plunger operating within said cylinder and having a stem movable along said support, a metallic frame carried by said support" and provided with means for attachment of an ignition wire, ablock within the body having a 'bore for the passage of'thestem,said stem having a tapered reduced portion within the block,

an arm pivoted in the block and spring pressed into engagement with the stem, and havin a head adapted to cooperate with one side of said frame whereby to define a spark "ap.

5 D 5. An indicator of the character described comprising a body having one end threaded for engagement within the spark plug opening of an engine cylinder, a support of insu- 10 lating material carried by said body, a downwardly spring pressed plunger operating Within said body and having a stem movable along said support, a metallic frame carried by said support and provided with means for 5 attachment of an ignition wire, a sparking member pivotally mounted Within the support and engaged by said plunger and cooperating with one side of said frame whereby to define a spark gap, said sparking member so moving to one side upon the upstroke of the plunger and moving to the other side upon the downstroke thereof, and an indicator slidable along the support. and moved upwardly by upward movement of said stem.

25 6. In a device of the character described,

a combined supporting and enclosing member adapted to be engaged within the spark plug opening of an internal combustion engine, a spring pressed plunger mounted so within said member and adapted to be moved by pressure within the engine cylinder, a frame on and insulated from said member, and a movable contact operatively engaged by said spring pressed member and co-acting #1 with the frame to define a spark gap.

7. In a device of the character described, a supporting member adapted to be engaged within the spark plug hole of internal combustion engine, a plunger slidably mounted within said member and adapted to be moved by pressure within the engine cylinders, metallic element insulated from said member, and means operated by movement of the plunger and co-acting with the metallic elem; ment to define a spark gap.

8. In a device of the character described, a member adapted for connection with an engine at a spark plug hole therein, a reciprocatory element carried by said member and so moved under the influence of pressure within the engine cylinder, and means actuated by said second named member for defining a spark gap.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

155 JASPER B. WILLIS. 

